Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Method and Meaning -- Harold Attridge Festschrift

I was delighted to receive today my copy of Andrew B. McGowan & Kent H. Richards, Method and Meaning: Essays on New Testament Interpretation in Honor of Harold W. Attridge (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011). It's a massive volume, just under 600 pages, and aims to honour one of the great scholars of early Christianity of our time.

My essay in the volume is about the Synoptic Problem. It's called "The Synoptic Problem: John the Baptist and Jesus" and it comes just after James Robinson's contribution (and there's an honour I never expected to have). I know -- surprise, surprise! -- Goodacre is writing about the Synoptic Problem again! But in my defence, I was asked to write on the topic, and the idea of the volume is that it will not simply be one of those Festschriften that allows scholars to throw in any old piece they happen to have been working on. Rather, it looks to provide a volume that will be of use to students of the NT and early Christianity, looking at the major methods in the field and applying them to specific texts. Seriously, I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to participate in what looks to be a fantastic volume. I have already begun delving into it.

There was a reception in honour of Harold Attridge at the SBL this year, at which this volume was presented, on the Friday evening, and it was very clear just how well-loved and greatly respected Harold Attridge is in the guild. My hope is that this volume will contribute in some way to honouring the wonderful contribution that he has made to enriching the study of early Christianity.